Improvement in ball-and-socket joints



UNITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

M. W. ST. OHN, OF LEONABDSVILLE, NEW YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN BALL-AND-SOCKETiJOlNTS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 79,408, dated J une 30, 1868; antedated June 18, 1868.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, M. W. Sr. JOHN, of Leonardsville, in the county of lVIadison and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Ball-and-Socket Joint; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

My invention consists in constructing an improved ball-and-socket joint, and in adapting it to various purposes, as hereinafter1 described.

And to enable those skilled in the art to make and use my invention, I will proceed to describe its construction and operation, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this speciication, and to the letters of reference marked thereon.

Figure l represents a top view of a pitman furnished with my improved joint at both ends. Fig. 2 represents a sectional view of the joint through the line m zr, Fig. 3. Fig. 3 is a top view of the joint where it is adapted to shackles for shafts or pole to carriages, or other purposes than a pitman or connectingrod. Fig. 4L represents a sectional view of Fig. l, showing the joint through the line w .t of Fig. 3.

Similar letters indicate like parts.

A is a pitman of a reaper, for instance, attached to the cutter-bar and the crank-wheel wrist. B is the cutter-bar. C is the drivingwheel wrist. In this example of my invention, Fig. 1, one end of the pitman forms a socket, D, and the other end a ball, E. The wrist C of the driving-wheel terminates in a ball, which works in the socket D.

In adapting the pitman to the cutter-bar B, a socket is formed on the bar, which is represented by a in Fig. 2. The ball is made to it this socket, (or the lower portion of it,) with sufficient room around the neck of the rod to allow it to play as much as is desirable for vibration of crank-wrist. On the other side of the ball there is a metallic piece, made to fit, which is' represented by b in the drawing, Fig. 2. The side of this piece b which is opposite the concave side is flat, and on this plane or flat side there is placed a lat piece of rubber or some other elastic material. This elastic piece is shown in the drawing at d.

It will be seen that the socket-piece a eX. tends up above the ball, and has a screwthread cut around the top part of it.

F is a cap, which is fitted to and which is screwed onto the top of the socket, as represented inthe drawing, Fig. 2. The elastic piece d is pressed down by this cap, thereby making the ball-joint elastic, while it keeps it tight and clean, excluding all dirt and dust, and compensating for wear at all times by turning the cap.

So nicely can this joint be adjusted by the elastic piece or rubber d that a few drops of oil contained in chamber at the bottom of sockets (not shown in drawing) will serve to keep the joint lubricated for a whole day. Besides all this, the joint is thereby made to work perfectly free and without noise. The elastic piece d is valuable in adjusting the joint to light and delicate machinery.

I do not confine myself to the use of this joint for any particular purpose. It may be employed to advantage in variousways besides for reaping and mowing machines. It may be used as a draft-colin ecti on for vehicles, and there are places in heavy as well as in light machinery, as shafting and connectingrods, where a noiseless joint is very desirable.

I propose adapting it to all situations where such a joint is desirable. Especially do I design to apply this joint to either or-both ends ofthe pitman of a reaper, as I believe it would be very valuable in this connection, as it would allow the bar to be folded in any direction, and prevent its cramping, if each end of pitman should not work in parallel lines or direction.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, isl The combination of the socket a, ball E, concave plate b, rubber d, and cap F, when connected to the parts, substantially in the manner and for the purposes specified.

M. W. ST. JOHN.

Witnesses:

LUKE HoXrE, J. S. BARRITT. 

